Workplace Exposures
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 4, 2026

Whole-Body Nanoparticle Aerosol Inhalation Exposures
Published on: May 7, 2013
Janet T Lee1, Wolfgang B Gaertner1
1Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Abstract:
Workplace exposure in colorectal surgery is unique compared with other surgical specialties and generally underreported. Although the most common device-associated exposure in surgery is suture needle injury, colorectal surgeons are increasingly exposed to gastrointestinal-related infectious agents, radiation, and other hazards in multiple different clinical settings. Highlighting the unique workplace exposures in colorectal surgery may help increase awareness, improve education, and identify possible targets for early intervention in order to minimize these risks.
Related Concept Videos
Types of Toxins
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
PPE Use in Healthcare Settings I: Donning
Standard Precaution
Hand hygiene is the most crucial means to prevent the transmission of disease. Employers are legally required to provide their workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimize exposure or contact with...
Personal Protective Equipment
Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment
Airborne precautions:
Use airborne precautions when treating patients known or suspected to have diseases that spread through the air—for example, tuberculosis or measles. These organisms are present in smaller droplets expelled by an infected person and...
PPE Use in Healthcare Settings II: Doffing

